Author Archives: The Voice

The Lancashire Telegraph tells us more:

Stephanie Booth, who is married to Cherie’s father, actor Tony Booth, was confirmed at the weekend and will contest the seat which has become vacant because sitting Liberal Democrat councillor Claire Townley has decided not to seek re-election. She faces an election on May 1 with Hilary Myers being chosen as the Liberal Democrat candidate.

Sad news via a London Region email:

Last week we received the enormously sad news that Belinda Eyre-Brook had lost her long battle with cancer. Belinda has put enormous energy into her campaign work in Kingston, rewarded initially with Ed Davey’s win in 1997 by just 56 votes but then turned into a majority of over 15,000. What remarkable skill, persistence and dedication. Not only in her own area but wherever she worked Belinda had an enormously infectious enthusiasm that we will miss greatly.

Our sympathies are with her family and friends.

Hampshire News brings us the glad tidings:

The Conservatives lost overall control of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council last night after the Liberal Democrats won the Baughurst by-election.

Liberal Democrat Michael Bound secured 428 votes to beat Tory Zoe Wheddon, who polled 368 votes. The turnout was 41 per cent.

The by-election was called after the death of sitting Conservative councillor Sheila Allen, in September.

The result wiped out the Conservatives’ majority, leaving them with half the 60 council seats. The Liberal Democrats now have 16 councillors, while the Labour group retains 11 and the independents three.

This is the latest good result for …

Press release from the party: 

GOVERNMENT HAS NATIONALISED NORTHERN ROCK BUT PRIVATISED THE PROFITS – CABLE

Commenting on Alistair Darling’s statement to Parliament today on the Northern Rock crisis, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable said:

“It is particularly ironic that the Prime Minister felt the need to fly to a communist country to come up with a supposedly private sector solution for Northern Rock.

“The reality is the Government has ingeniously come up with a private sector sale that doesn’t involve any private sector money.

“In order to save face Brown has decided that losses of Northern Rock should be nationalised, but that profits …

Nick Clegg gave an interview to The Herald on his visit to Scotland during the week. You can watch it here (note: it may start automatically on your computer):

Islington South & Finsbury Labour MP Emily Thornberry is an old friend of LDV – we noted her hypocrisy here (September) and her ticking off by the Parliament’s standards watchdog here (October).

Now Ms Thornberry is in trouble again – this time for using taxpayers’ money to send out unsolicited letters to residents on Parliamentary stationery using pre-paid envelopes. She is being forced by the Serjeant-at-Arms to pay back the money she illegitimately spent in the run-up to the 2007 election-that-never-was. As the MP sent out at least 10,400 letters with first-class postage, she could face a bill of …

Nick Clegg has just announced that the party’s Chief Executive Chris Rennard has been reappointed as Chair of the General Election Campaign for the Liberal Democrats. Lord Rennard had previously been given the role by Ming Campbell.

Andrew Stunell is chair of the local election campaign. The party’s press release also mentions Willie Rennie’s new position as Chair of Parliamentary Campaigns and Ed Davey’s continued role as Chair of the Campaigns and Communications Committee.

2008 has been a tremendously successful year for Liberal Democrat Voice, with more readers, more content and more comments than ever. But we want to be even bigger and better in 2009.

You’ll have seen some of our plans already, including the introduction of new regular features such as James Graham’s weekly Lib Dig Pig round-ups (covering the best of the internet beyond the Liberal Democrat blogosphere).

We also want to expand our online advertising and our presence at party events so that we can reach out to that wider pool of people who are interested in the sorts of stories we …

The Independent has a story today on Hannah Gardiner taking over from Puja Darbari.

Amongst her other skills, Puja was always very helpful to bloggers seeking interviews with Ming – thank you Puja.

Hannah is the head of the party’s media operation, so this news sounds as if one integrated media operation is planned, rather than complementary party and leader’s office media operations.

The Times has reported allegations about party donations to the Lib Dems.

Pete Dunphy has a post with his take on the article.

UPDATE: The paper has a follow-up article today.